Tumbling barrel



Se t. 7, 1943. E. o. HAMREN TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 awuwm p 1943. E. o. HAMREN 2,328,553

TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 l IF" Sept. 7, 1943. E. o. HAMREN 2,328,553

TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 vagi) glmwm free 0. 2702122 922 M %@www Sept. 7, 1943. E. o. HAMREN 2,328,553

TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 P 1943- E. o. HAMREN 2,328,553

TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Sept. 7, 1943.

E. O. HAMREN TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 v Z 222 afiamren M p 7, 1943. E. o. HAMREN 2,328,553

TUMBLING BARREL Filed April '7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Sept. 7, 1943. E. o. HAMREN TUMBLING BARREL Filed April 7, 1941 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Patented Sept. 7, 1943 UN/ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLING BARREL Eric 0. Hamren, Hagerstown, M11, assignor to Pangborn Corporation, Hage'rstown, Md., a corporation of Maryland Application April 7, 1941, Serial No. 387,315

12 Claims. (Cl. 51-9) This invention relates to tumbling barrels, and more particularly to a machine of this character which employs a conveyor which is moved back and forth in a general trough shaped path in order to turn the material on the conveyor over and over inopposite directions. A machine of this general construction is disclosed and claimed in an application of Eric 0. Hamren, Serial No. 154,105, filed on July 16, 1937, now Patent No. 2,254,219.

The machine of the present invention provides in such a machine a conveyor and associated elements which are of simpler construction. Because of the fewer parts which are required, the machine is of less expensive construction and will have a longer operating life.

As a further feature of the invention, power operated door opening means are provided.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for driving the conveyor which will be of strong construction and not liable to breakage from shocks which arise in operation.

Other features will appear from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine with a a portion of the front broken away and certain parts of the tumbling barrel shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2', showing the tumbling barrel in a work tumbling position, and showing the door in broken lines to indicate a partial open position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the tumbling barrel in dumping position, .the trackway being shown in broken lines.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the tumbling barrel in loading position.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the assembled track sections at one end of the barrel.

Fig. '7 is a detail section on an enlarged scale on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a'detail section view on an enlarged scale on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detail section view on an enlarged scale on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a detail section view on an enlarged scaleon the line lll-l0 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 11 is a face view of the barrel head appearing in Fig. 3 at the driving end of the barrel, the conveyor being entirely removed.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section at the driving end of the barrel.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail section on line |3-l3 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary detail section on line l4--I4 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section at the idling end of the barrel.

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view of the conveyor as it would appear if straightened out, and showing one end in its assembled form, and showing parts at the other end removed to one side.

Fig. 17 is a section on line |l--I'l of Fig. 1.

Fig. 18 is an enlarged front view of the door lifting drum and its control switch.

Fig. 19 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the door locking brackets} showing the safety switch mounted thereon.

Fig. 20 is a front elevation of Fig. 19, the door locking bar being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 21 is a fragmentary portion of the door in front elevation showing the cam-like arm for breaking the door seal and its actuating lever to which the lifting cable is secured.

Fig. 22 is a section taken on line 22--22 of Fig. 21.

Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 22, but showing the elements in their operative positions.

Fig. 2a is a sectional view at the line 24-24 of Fig. 21, but showing the actuating lever in its full position for lifting the door.

Fig. 25 is a sectional view on the line 25-25 of Fig. 1.

The tumbling mechanism is enclosed in a cabinet having a door in the front thereof made up of an upper section #5 and a lower section I6 hinged together at ll. The section I5 is reinforced by angles I 8 spaced from and parallel to its outer edges and by central longitudinal angles 19. -Welcled to the top edge of this door section 15- is a shaft 20, the ends of which project beyond the door and are mounted for rotation in bearings 2| secured to the cabinet.

The lower edge of this door section. l5 has secured thereto angle irons 22 and 23 (Fig. 25). The angle 22 serves as a reinforcing strip, while the angle 23 serves as a clamp to secure a sealing strip 24 which engages a similar strip 25 on the upper edge of the lower door section l6. Secured to the angles 18 and the angles 22 at their junctions are lugs 26 having set screws 21 threaded therein. Set screws 21 engage with set screws 28 mounted in a similar manner on the upper edge of the lower door section, and by their adjustdoor sections can be limited to thereb insure a tight fit of the door sections against the cabinet.

Secured to the angles I8 are bearings 36 (Fig.

21) and secured to the angles I9 are bearing plates 3| in which is journaled a shaft 32. The ends of shaft 32 extendbeyond the door and have arms 33 secured thereto, and journaled in the free ends of the arnis are rollers 34. These arms 33 act as cams to initially open the door when shaft 32 is rotated. The rollers 34 ride on wear plates 35 which are secured to the angles 36 that reinforce the cabinet along the edges of the door opening.

J To rotate shaft 32, a bifurcated lever 38 is fixed thereto between the bearing plates 3|. A pair of grooved rollers 39 are mounted in the free end of lever 38 and the door lifting cables 46 pass around them and are secured to a cross pin 4| of the lever 38. A projection 42 is formed on this lever for engagement with the face of the angles I9 to limit the upward movement of lever 38, as appears in Fig. 24. The operation of the arms 33 and lever 38 in opening the door will hereinafter be described.

The lower door section I6 has a curved lower portion to conform with the cabinets curvature. Angle irons 45 reinforce the outer edges of the door section I6 and a sealing strip 46 (Fig. 1'7) is clamped thereon by a second angle 41. This sealing strip 46 fits snugly against the angle 36 along the door opening of the cabinet. A similar sealing strip (not shown) is secured to the angles I8 at the sides of the upper door section I5. An angle 48 (Fig. 25) secures the sealing strip 215 in place against a reinforcing angle at the upper edge of door section I6.

The lower edge of the door section I6 has a sealing strip 49 (Fig. 3) affixed thereto as are the other sealing strips described. This sealing strip 49 bears against the chute-like bottom portion 56 of the door opening. At the upper edge of door section I is affixed a sealing strip 5| (Fig. 8) to bear against the cabinet. The sealing strips around the door and between the door sections form a dustproof seal.

To forma further seal for the door, the entire rear face of the door sections is covered with a sheet of rubber 62. At its edges, this rubber sheet extends beyond the edges of said door, and these projecting edges, as 66 (Fig. 17), bear against the face of the cabinet to form a seal. Thin metal strips 65 are used to secure the I rubber cover 62 to the door.

To guide the lower door section I6 in its final closing movement against the cabinet, rollers 56 are mounted in brackets 51 aflixed to the cabinet (Fig. 17). These rollers 56 cooperate with guide plates 55 affixed to the ends of supporting arms 54. The arms 54 are secured to an inverted angle 52 which is welded to the face of the lower door section I6 and extends between the angles 45.

To support the means for locking the door closed, plates 66 are m'ountedon the angles 45 of the door section I6. These plates form a bearing for the door locking shaft 68. The shaft may be further supported by bearing 69 centrally of its length. Handles I6 are secured to shaft to afford means for manually rotating the shaft. The ends of the shaft 68 extend beyond the door edges and have offset lugs I2 (Figs. 19, 20) secured thereto for engagement with looking brackets I3. The locking brackets I3 are secured to the angles 36 of the cabinet. The lugs I2 are semi-cylindrical in shape, and the brackets 13 have recesses I6 therein to receive the locking lugs. Rotation of shaft 68 carries these offset locking lugs out of the recesses I6, so that the door may be opened.

On this bracket I3 is pivotally mounted a cylinder-like container I8 having a removable cap I9. Inside of this container is an electrical switch 86 which makes or breaks a circuit when tilted, as, for example, the common mercury switch. Formed as part of the cylinder near one end is a boss 8| through which extends a pin 11 carried by the bracket I3, and upon which the container I8 pivots. An arm 82 extends from boss 8| at such an angle as to normally lie in the path of lug I2 when it is rotated. When the offset lug I2 is seated in the recess I6 of the bracket I3, it will also strike the arm 82 and tilt the switch to a broken circuit position, but when the locking lug is rotated to a position out of recess I6, it will allow the switch to assume the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 19 in which the circuit will be closed. The arm 82 has a projection 83 formed on it which extends into the recess I6. This projection acts as a stop to'limit the movement of the switch in a counterclockwise direction when lug I2 is removed from the recess I6, as the projection will strike the far side of the inner face of the recess. A notch 84 in the face of recess IE will accommodate this projection 83 when the lug is in its locked position.

A panel 96 is mounted at the top of the front part of the cabinet, this panel being supported by uprights 9|. Attached to this panel 96 are brackets 92 having bearings 93 secured thereto. Journaled in the bearings 93 is a shaft 94, and affixed to this shaft is a drum 95 having oppositely disposed tapers in which are formed reversely spiraled grooves 96 which terminate with flanges 91 at the end of the drum. Apertures 98 are formed in the flanges 91 for securing the lifting cables 46 thereto. There are two cables 46, and they wind up separately on the opposite sides of the drum 95, toward the center of the drum. 1

A sprocket 99 is fixed to shaft 94 and is driven through a chain I66 by the motor |6I shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The motor I6| is mounted on a platform I62 secured to the rear of the panel 96.

A shaft I65 is connected to shaft 94 and ex-- .tends (Fig. 18) through the upright 9| to an electrical switching device I66 that automatically breaks the motor circuit. when the drum has made the required number of revolutions to fully open the door. Spring bumpers I63, supported by brackets I64, are provided to be engaged by the door as it approaches its full open position.

The switch 86 and the switch I66 are in the electrical circuit for motor I6I which opens the door. This motor |6| is also under the control of a manual switch on the control panel 86 on the front of the cabinet. When switch 86 is held open by locking lug I2, the motor I6I wil1-not operate when the control switch at 86 is operated. Also, after the door reaches its fully open position, the switch I66 will break the motor circuit so that operation of the door opening switch will not further operate motor I6I. The switch I66 does not, however, prevent a reversal movement of motori|6| to permit the door to close.

To open the door, the shaft 68 must first be turned by handles I6 to the position to withdraw the locking lugs I2 out of the recesses I6. This not only releases the door so that it may be opened, but also permits the switch 86 to' move to its circuit closing position. When the motor switch on panel 86 is then manipulated, the motor IIII will operate and draw the lifting cables upwardly. This will initially move the lever 36 from the position of Fig. 22 to the position of Fig. 23, and in so doing will rotate the arm 33 to exert a camming action which will move the door away from the cabinet. This outward movement of the door, together with theoutward movement of lever 38 away from the door, wilicarry the cables 40 away from the door pivot shaft 20 so that a greater leverage effect will thereafter be had in the further opening movement of the door. As the door moves still further outwardly toward the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the length of the lever arm will increase and advantage is taken of this in increasing the diameter of the drum 95 toward its mid-part, toward which the cables move as they wind up.

The door will continue to move upwardly until the upper'section I6 is nearly upright, at which time the switch I06 will break the motor circuit and stop the motor. In this position, the upper door section will be at rest against the springs I03 and the lower door section will be folded back against the upper door section.

When the motor IN is reversed, the door will be lowered toward closed position. The final closing movement of the door is by a manual push, and the door is then locked closed by turning the handles 70. The lever 38 is urged to a downward inactive position as in Figs. 1 and 22 by means of springs I01 connected to arms I08 on shaft 32.

The work to be abraded is carried by a conveyor made up of a center section I I and a plurality of sections hinged to the long sides thereof, this conveyor being oscillatable in order to tumble the work back and forth in opposite directions at the bottom thereof.

The center section II 0 is supported by end plates III and H2, to which it is rigidly welded. Stub shafts II3 are journaled in pair of bearings H4, and stub shafts II 5 are journaled in pairs of bearings H6 formed on the underside of the center section, and these stub shafts extend into holes I23 (Fig. 11) in the end plates I I I, H2. Spaced transverse ribs I26 connect with the longitudinal ribs I25 for strengthening this center section I I0.

This center section I I 0 is formed with inclined sides I21 and I 28 so that it is of general troughlike shape, the side I28 being the shortest. The inner face of the center section I I0 may be protected against wear by the provision of replaceable wear plates I29, I30, and I3I riveted or otherwise secured thereto. Perforations are arranged in this section I I0 and in thewear plates to permit the abrasive to sift through to the abrasive conveyor I20 in the bottom of the cabinet. The wear plate I3I is wider than the underlying inclined portion I 21 and its far edge I32 extends to a point to rest on a seat I33 formed on a connecting member I34, when the parts are in the position of Fig. 3. Also, the connecting member I34 has a seat I39 which receives the flange I4I at the edge of portion I21 of the center section. Adjacent the seat I33, the connecting member I34 is provided with a curved outer face I35 which forms a bearing surface for an overlapping edge face I36 of the next section I 40 of the conveyor.

The member I34 connects the side section I40 to the center section H0. This member includes a plate portion I31 which is connected to the section I40, and the attached arm portion I38 which are connected to the center section II 0. Bolts at I45 connect the arms I38 to the plate portion I31 of member I34. The arms I38 have bores therethrough to receive the stub shafts I I5. It is important to here note that the stub shafts H5 are located inwardly of the center section H0 from the edge I32. In the machine illustrated, the stub shafts are adjacent the junction of the side portion I 21 and the central portion of the center section H0.

Beneath the curved face I35 of connecting member I34 are bearings I 43. Throughthe'bearings I43 are bore holes, concentric with the curved face I35, to receive stub shafts I42. 'Links I46 are mounted on stub shafts I42. At their other ends the links I46 ar pivotally connected by pins I52 to blocks I 48 which are attached to an angle iron I49 secured to the side section I40. To accommodate the links I 46, the edge of curved face I35 is notched at I50, as shown in Fig. 16. Lugs I5I are formed on the'links I46 for engagement with the angle I49 of the section I 40 to limit movement thereof. This provision of links I46, and the location of the axis of the pivot which includes pins I52 in a direction offset toward the work supporting surfac of the conveyor from a line joining the aXes of the pivotal connections which includes the stub shafts I42 and I51, permits a limited separation between the surfaces I and I36 to minimize wear of the urfaces.

The section I may b made up of separate pieces I40a, I40b, and I400 in order to complete the full width of the section. The separate pieces are held together by the angle I49 and by the angle I53. The use of these separate pieces makes it possible to readily fabricate a conveyor of smaller width, as by eliminating the middle piece I40b. In such event, the central section H0 would have to be of corresponding lesser width.

The section I40 is provided at its side opposite from I36 with a curved outer face I55 corresponding to the curved face I 35 of the connecting member I 34. Beneath this curved face I55 are spaced bearings I56 for stud shafts I51, to which links I58 are pivoted. These links I58 are connected by pins I54 to blocks I59 which are secured to angle I60 of the section I6I. It should be observed that section I BI is a duplicate of section I40, so that they are interchangeable. Section I 6I is also provided with a portion I62 which overlaps the curved outer face I55 of section I 40. This connection between sections I 40 and I6I is in all respects similar to the connection between section I40 and the connecting member I34.

Section I6I is connected to end section I69 by a joint which is similar to the connection described. This includes links I66 journaled on shaft I65 which passes through the bearings I64 of section I6I. The links I66 are also connected by pins I12 to blocks I6'I affixed to angle I68, which is welded or otherwise secured to the end section I69. This end section I69 may be a plate which at one end overlaps the curved portion I63 of section I6I. 'Parallel with and near the edge of the end section I69 is a shaft I10 mounted in brackets III which are secured to the section I69.

Pivoted to the stub shaft H3 of the center section H0 are arms I which are bolted to angles I8I of section I82. It should be noted that stub shaft I I3 is near the edge of the center section H0. The section I82 is a duplicate of sec- I of section I82 seats a flange I16 of each arm I80 to provide additional support.

The section I82 is connected to the next section I88 in the same manner that sections I40 and I6I are Jointed. This includes links I86 mounted on stub shafts I85 which pass through bearings I84 of section I82, and also includes the pins I83 which pass through the other ends of links I86 and also through blocks I89 secured to angle I81 of the section I88. Sections I82 and I88 meet at the curved facesat I90.

The end section I95 is of a construction similar to the end section I69 and is connected to section I 88 the same as I69 is connected to section I6I. This connection includes links I96, stub shaft I91, pins I98, and blocks I99, which are secured to angle 200 of end section I95. Brackets 20I secured to the end section I95 support the shaft 202.

The shafts I42, I51, I65, and I10 at one side of the center section and shafts I85, I91, and 202 at the other side of the center section, extend beyond the ends of their respective sections and have rollers I14 mounted thereon to run upon a trackway, which will be described.

The work supporting faces of the several sections may be provided with ribs 203 '(Fig. 2) for the work to rest on. These ribs 203 support the work away from the perforations through the and plate III is through studs 2I8 which are located at a considerable radial distance outwardly from the axis of shaft 2I4.

To receive the studs 2I8, the plat III is provided with circumferentiallyspaced holes 2I5, in which fit the discs 2I6. The reduced ends 222 of the studs 2I8 seat in these discs 2I6. Screws 2I9 retain thestuds 2I8 in the discs 2I6, and also retain the discs 2| 6 in plate III. An enlarged central portion of the studs 2I8 extends throughrubber sleeves 220, and these rubber sleeves lie in holes 223 formed in the flange 22I of the shaft 2I4. A reduced portion 225 of studs 2 I8 is seated in holes in a stud supporting ring 224, and the studs are held therein by clamping plates 226 secured to the ends of the studs by bolts 228.

The inner surface of the ring 224 is of stepped formation, and is provided with a packing seal 23I which bears upon the outer surface of the bearing shell 230, and with a like packing seal 229 which bears upon the outside of an annular rib 234 projecting from the flange 22I of the drive shaft. A further packing seal 232 is provided between the inner surface of rib 234 and the bearing sleeve 236 to insure a longer use of the bearings and their races. anti-friction bearings 235 at its one end and in like bearings at the other end. These bearings are held by the replaceable bearing sleeves 286 and 231 and retainer 238.. The bearing shell 230 is secured to the chamberwall 240.

Sprocket 245 mounted on the shaft 2I4 is driven by suitable power means, as the electric motor The shaft 2 turns in tions I40 and I6I. Against the under surface drive shown in the application of Hainren, Serial No. 154,105, filed July 16, 1937 now Patent No. 2,254,219. A cap 246 is secured to the end of the shaft 2I4 and extends through the end wall 248 of the cabinet. The cap 246 is formed with'a projection 25I which serves as a pointer to indicate the position of the barrel. For this purpose, the cap 250 may have markingsthereon corresponding to the various positions of the barreL'so that when the pointer 25I registers with them, the exact position of the barrel will be known.

The provision of the driving studs 2I8 affords a means for driving the conveyor, which is of considerable strength. Because of the bearing 2I2, the studs 2I8 are entirely relieved of any radial supporting forces for the conveyor, so that the studs must serve only to oscillate the barrel. By locating the studs at a considerable radial distance away from the axis of rotation, the driving force they must exert is relatively small although the torque required for moving the conveyor is great. The rubber sleeves 220- serve to absorb the shocks which arise during the operation of the machine. The retaining ring 224 firmly holds the studs 2| 8 against angular tilting, so that they remain parallel and do not cant within the rubber sleeves 220. g

On the inner face of the supporting plate II I is a plate 260 and next inwardly is a plate 26I. The plate 260 is centered by having a central aperture which seats upon the periphery of the flange 262 of the cup-shaped member 2I I. The

screws 2I9 clamp the central part of plate 260 and the screws 263 clamp both the plate 26I and plate 260 to the supporting plate I I I.

The plate 260 is cut away at 265 (Fig. 11) to conform with the shape oi the center conveyor section I I0 and its inclined side portions I21 and I28. Notches are formed in the periphery of the plate 260 to freely receive the stud shafts of the conveyor when the conveyor sections fold inwardly against this plate. Notches 266, 261, and

'268, respectively, receive the shafts I85, I91, and

202, and notches 269, 210, 21I, and 212, respecw tively, receive the shafts I42, I51, I65, and I10.

These notches are curved in the direction in which the shafts enter and recede from them.

The periphery of the plate 26I 'is formed with fiat faces which will lie close to and parallel to the faces of the conveyor sections when they are brought toward the plate. This plate 26I serves as a replaceable wear plate. Additional wear plates 219 and 280 are welded concentrically to glen; plate 26I and also cover the heads of screws The supporting plate H2 at the idling end of the barrel has a central opening (Fig. 15) which receives a bearing sleeve 286 and thereby cen- .ters. the plate II2. The plate H2 is secured to the flange 288 of sleeve 286 by means of bolts 281. A retainer 290 at one end, and a retainer 29I ,at the other end secure bearings 292 in sleeve 286. The bearings 292 are secured upon a shaft 295 by means of retaining plate 293. The shaft 295 is secured in a bracket 291 and is held against rotation by a set screw 296. The bracket k2,91 is bolted to the wall 298 of the barrel cham- On the inner face of plate H2 is a plate 28I which corresponds to the plate 260 appearing in Fig. 11. The wear plate 282 in Fig. 15 corresponds to the wear plate 26I of Fig. 11. These plates 28I and 282 are held to plate II2 by screws 283. Wear plates 284 and 285 of Fig. 15

2,828,558 i and 280, respeccorrespond to wear plates 213 tively, of Fig. 12.

The center section H is constantly supported by the end plates III and H2 by being weld-. ed to them. To Support the othersections of the conveyor, and to guide them in a definite path, trackways are secured to the end walls 240 and 298 ofthe chamber. Since the trackways at the two ends are of identical construction, only the one at the driving end of the conveyor is illustrated. This is shown in Figs; 6, 7, 8, and 9.

This trackway is made up of a number of replaceable sections. The lower part of the trackway is made up of arcuate pieces 300 of hexagonal cross-section (Fig, These arcuate pieces 300 are disposed end to end and are concentric with the axes of rotation of the conveyor. They are supported by a shelf-like flange 30I welded to a plate 302 which is secured by suitable means to the end wall 240. Apertures 305 are formed in the lower portion of BM as shown in 2, so that any abrasive materials collecting thereon will pass therethrough to the abrasive conveyor below, and will not build up onto the arcuate pieces 300.

Spaced rods 306 (Fig. 10) are welded to the the flange" flange I and the arcuate pieces 300 are seated between these rods 306 and held against lateral displacement by them. These sections form a complete half circle, and theirAends are forced against each other by track sections 308, so that they will be secured rigidly in place. These sections 308 have elongated openings 309 to receive bolts 3I0 by which they are held to the plate 302. mit the sections 308 to be shifted away from the arcuate pieces 300 so that the latter may be replaced when worn, Welded to the plate 302 in positions which are opposite from sections 308 are arcuate shaped flanges 3H that serve to guide the conveyor rollers I14 into the upper track sections to be described.

Openings 3I2 in plate 302 register with similar openings in" the wall 240 to permit the removal of rollers I I4 and their shafts when they are to be replaced or the conveyor is to be dismantled. These openings 3I2 are normally covered by plates (not shown).

Companion track sections 3I4 and 3I5 are secured to the end wall 240 of the cabinet chamber above the plate 302 and are spaced for free travel between them of the conveyor rollers I14.

These elongated openings rcr- Strengthening ribs are formed on these sections 3I4, 3I5 and a clamping bolt 3I6 is located in the lower rib section 3I'I as shown in Fig. 3. so that the head of the bolt rests in a notch 3I3 formed on the upper edge of the section 308. This bolt 3I6 affords additional adjusting and clamping means.

An arcuate shaped track member 320 adjoining to and aligning with the track sections 3I4 and 3I5 is mounted on the top of the cabinet. This track member 320 extends to a sufiicient height to accommodate the conveyor in its maximum upward travel. Where the wear is greatest upon this track member, it may be provided with a hard metal insert 3I8.

Track sections 324 and 325 at the other end of the conveyor's path of movement are secured to the wall 240. The tracks of these sections 324 and 325 are spaced apart to freely receive the rollers I14. An arcuate shaped trackway section 330 adjoining to and having its trackways aligning with the tracks of sections 324 and '325 is also mounted on to of the cabinet to accommodate the conveyor travel in the opposite direction,

When it is desired to replace any of the arcuate pieces 300, it is only necessary to loosen the bolts 3I6' and 3I0 and slide the opposing section 308 upward. This relieves clamping action upon the arcuate pieces and any one or all of them may be readily removed. The track sections 308, 3I4, 3I5, 324, and 325 may also readily be replaced when they are worn.

The top wall 24I of the abrading chamber supports the abrasive throwing devices 242 (Fig.

2). These devices may be directional control centrifugal blasting machines such as shown in United States Patent No. 2,108,211, issued on February 15, 1938, to Rosenberger et al. The direction control means of these machines should be so oriented that the streams of abrasive are projected downwardly through the openings 243 in the wall 24I and cover the entire width of the conveyor between the end plates 26I and 282.

During normal operation of the barrel, that is, during the movement of the conveyor back and forth so as to tumble the material in first one direction and then in the opposite direction, the central section H0 is oscillated through a constant arc which alternately thrusts the end sec tions I63 and I upwardly intotheir track sections 320 and 330. This movement will be automatically controlled, as by the means disclosed in the aforesaid application of E. O. Hamren.

When it is desired to discharge the material from the conveyor, the conveyor will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 4. and this will ordinarily be under manual control by means of a switch on panel 86. The connecting member I34 permits movement of the conveyor to this position, this being because the connecting member I34 can fold back upon the fixed central section H0 and permit continued movement of the central section H0 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 5 shows the separation of arm I 34 from the inclined portion' I21 of the central section. Continued movement in a counter-clockwise direction will increase this separation until the position of Fig. 4 is reached.

The point of attachment of the stub shaft II5 to the central section H0 is of importance, because the connecting section may be brought against portion I27 and thereby cause the section I40 to lie next to the wear plate I3I, as in Fig. 3, to form a continuous conveyor surface, or the connecting section may lie. against the central part of the center section as in Fig. 4 to permit continued movement of the conveyor to its discharging position.

After the material has been discharged, the conveyor is moved from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 5, in which new material can be placed upon the conveyor. This movement may be under manual control. Thereafter, the conveyor may be set into its automatic back and forth tumbling motion.

I claim:

1. A tumbling barrel comprising a plurality of side by side sections, head plates at opposite ends of a central one of said sections and rigidly secured thereto, means for rotatably supporting said head plates, means between each adjacent section for hingedly connecting them together, th connecting means between said central section and one of its next adjacent sections including a member pivoted to the central member at a point inwardly from the edge of the central member which is juxtaposed to said next adjacent section, means for oscillating said heads and aflixed central section, and means for guiding the end sections in a generally trough shaped path during said oscillations.

2. A tumbling barrel according to claim 1 in which said central section is of trough-like shap facing toward the axis of rotation of said heads.

3. A tumbling barrel according to claim 1 in which said connecting member has seat means against which the central section may rest.

4. A tumbling barrel according to claim 1 in which said connecting member and said next adiacent member have cooperating curved surfaces which serve to prevent escape of material between them.

5. A tumbling barrel comprising a plurality of side by side sections including a central section having portions inclined with respect to each other, head plates at opposite ends of said central section and rigidlysecured thereto, means for rotatably supporting said head plates, means between each adjacent section for hingedly connecting them together, the connecting means between said central section and one of its next adjacent sections including a member pivoted to the central member at a point adjacent the junction of the inclined portions thereof, means for oscillating said heads and aflixed central section,

and means for guiding the end sections in a generally trough shaped path during said oscillations.

6. A tumbling barrel according to claim \5 in which said connecting member is longer than the overlying portion of the centralsection.

7. A machine for handling articles to be tumbled comprising a tumbling barrel having head end plates, means for rotatably supporting one of said head end plates, and means for rotatably supporting and driving the other head end plate including a rotatably mounted drive shaft, a bearing rotatably supporting said drive shaft, another bearing between said drive shaft and said driven plate permitting relative rotative movement between them and sustaining radial loads of the driven plate,-and means extending between the driven plate and the shaft at a remote distance from the axis of their rotation to establish a driving connection between them.

8. A machine according to claim 7 in which resilient means is interposed in said driving means to absorb shocks.

9. A machine according to claim '7 in which said drive shaft includes a flanged enlargement and said connecting means engage the flanged enlargement near the periphery thereof.

10. A machine for handling articles tobe tumbled comprising atumbling barrel having head end plates, means for rotatably supporting one of said plates, and means for rotatably supporting and driving the other plate including a rotatably mounted drive shaft, 9. bearing between said drive shaft andsaid driven plate permitting their relative rotative movement and sustaining radial loads of the driven plate, said drive shaft having a flanged enlargement opposing said driven plate and having openings therethrough near its periphery, studs extending through said openings and connected to said driven plate to drive the latter, and resilient material between said studs and the walls of said openings to absorb operating shocks.

11. A machine according 'to claim 10 including a member rigidly connecting together said studs.

12. A tumbling barrel comprising a conveyor made up of a plurality of side-by-side sections hingedly joined together, means for moving the conveyor back and forth in a trough shaped path with its work supporting surface facing inwardly of the trough, the hinged joint between an adjacent pair of said sections including a pivotal connection at corresponding sides of said pair, a link having one end joined to the pivtal connection of one section of said pair, a pivot between the other end of said link and the contiguous side of the other section of said pair, said pivot having its axis offset in a direction toward the work supporting surface of the conveyor from the line joining the axes of said pivotal connections.

I ERIC 0. HAMZREN. 

